President Bush Calls for Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Goals

June 6, 2007

President Bush announced on May 31st that the United States will work
with other nations to establish a new framework on greenhouse gas
emissions for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. By the end of
next year, the President aims to reach an international agreement that
establishes a long-term global goal for reducing greenhouse gases. "In
recent years, science has deepened our understanding of climate change
and opened new possibilities for confronting it," said President Bush.
"The United States takes this issue seriously."

To help develop this goal, the United States plans to convene a series
of meetings of nations that produce most greenhouse gas emissions,
including nations with rapidly growing economies like India and China.
Over the course of the next 18 months, the President envisions
participating nations bringing together industry leaders from
different sectors of their economies, such as power generation,
alternative fuels, and transportation. These leaders will form working
groups that will cooperate on ways to share clean energy technology
and best practices. Each country will also establish midterm national
targets and programs that reflect their own mix of energy sources and
future energy needs. The participating countries will also create a
strong and transparent system for measuring each country's
performance.

According to the President, this new framework would help the United
States fulfill its responsibilities under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The United States will work
with the 188 other nations that are part of this convention to adapt
to the impacts of climate change, gain access to clean and more
energy-efficient technologies, and promote sustainable forestry and
agriculture. President Bush announced the new initiative towards the
end of a speech to the Global Leadership Council. See the President's
full speech,
a White House fact sheet on the greenhouse gas goals, and
the "Essential Background" page on the UNFCCC Web site.